Piler stop mechanism



2 sheeis-sheet 1 Sept. 4, 1956 D. BucclcoNE FILER sToP MECHANISM 'YFiled June 15, 195].

Sept. 4, 1956 I D. BucclcoNE PILER `STOP MECHANISM Fled June 15, 1951 2Sheets-Sheet 2 m i? llil A? f mf.; lul ww :gli l. wx L.. www Q m Q NNUnited States Patent O 2,761,682 PILER STOP MECHANISM Dario Buccicone,Gary, Ind. Application June 15, 1951, Serial No. 231,732

z Claims. (ci. 271-86) This invention relates to an improved stopmechanism for aligning metal sheets as they are piled.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved stop mechanismwhich is adapted to be used with a magnetic conveyor and is capable ofaligning sheets without damaging them as they emerge from a high speedprocessing line.

A further object is to provide an improved stop mechanisni whichincludes a yieldable bumper adapted to receive the impact from theleading edges of sheets dropped from a magnetic conveyor and a fixedabutment adapter thereafter to be engaged by the trailing edges of thesheets for aligning them.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided improved details of structure, a single form of which is shownin the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a magnetic rail conveyor icev which isequipped with an improved stop mechanism embodying features of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the conveyor and stop mechanism;and

Figures 3 and 4 are side and end elevational views respectively `on alarger scale of the stop mechanism.

Figures 1 and 2 show somewhat diagrammatically a magnetic conveyor lll,which includes sets of sheaves 12 and 13, at least one of which is powerdriven, and endless belts 14 extending around said sheaves. The conveyorcontains electromagnets, not shown, which have downwardly facing polesand which, when energized, are adapted to hold sheets S against theunderside of belts 14 so that the belts can advance the sheets towardthe right. A feed conveyor 15 introduces sheets S sheared from acontinuous strip to the left or entry end of conveyor 10. An operatingarm 16 of a normally closed control switch for the electromagnetsextends into the path of sheets advancing along the underside ofconveyor 10. The position of this arm is adjusted so that the leadingedge of each sheet engages the arm to open the switch, de-energize themagnets, and drop the sheet as the sheet reaches the proper positionwith respect to the stop mechathe beams and the upper edges of theplates are rigidly fixed to these nuts. Screw-threaded spindles 25 areengaged with each nut and are suitably restrained against' axialmovement. Consequently rotation of the two spindles adjusts thelongitudinal position of the frame. This adjustment accommodates themechanism for piling sheets of different lengths. Y i

A pair of downwardly depending links 26 and 27 are pivoted to the upperrear edges of plates 18 and 19. The. frame also includes an upwardlyextending bracket 28' which is iixed to the mid-portion of thetransversebearn 20. Adownwardly depending link 29 is' pivoted to theupper end of this bracket. A bumper 30 has a pair of short lengthtongues 31 and 32 pivoted to the lower ends of links 26 and 27 and alonger tongue 33 pivoted to the lower end of link 29. This mountingenables the bumper to swing under the impact of sheets. The outer orexposed face of the bumper preferably has a resilient covering 34 ofrubber, leather or like material against which the leading edges ofsheets S can strike without damage. This outer face is vertical. Theupper pivot points of links 26, 27 and 29 are all at the same level andlikewise the lower pivot points, and the links are all of the samelength. Consequently the bumper always remains vertical as it swings Themechanism comprises cushioning means connected between the frame and thebumper. In the structure illustrated the cushioning means includes apneumatic cylinder 35 pivoted to the transverse beam 20 and containing areciprocable piston and piston rod 36. The free end of said piston rodis pivoted to a bracket 37 on the inner face of bumper 30. Behind thepiston the cylinder contains air under pressure, which tends to forcethek bumper to the left to a fully extended normal position. As theleading edge of each sheet dropped from conveyor 10 strikes the exposedface of the bumper, the initial impact forces the bumper to the rightagainst the presnism, hereinafter described. A lift arrangement 17beneath the conveyor 10 supports the pile of sheets. Thev parts thus farreferred to7 aside from the stop mechanism, are not per se a part of thepresent invention, but can be of any standard or desired construction,and therefore are not shown nor described in greater detail.

The stop mechanism of the present invention comprises a frame which issuspended from above beneath conveyor 10 near the exit end and normallyis stationary, but can be adjusted longitudinally of said conveyor. Thisframe includes a pair of spaced vapart vertically disposed side platesIS and 19 and a transverse beam 20 rigidly attached to said plates. Apreferred suspending means includes a pair of hollow beams 21 and 22which extend longitudinally either within conveyor 10, as illustrated.,or on opposite sides thereof. These beams have longitudinal slots 23 intheir underside through which plates sure in the cylinder which thusabsorbs the `force of the impact. However, this pressure quicklyrestores the bumper to its normal position and, as the bumper movesback, it pushes the sheet along with it to the left.

A fixed abutment 38 is situated in back of or to the left of bumper 30.This abutment has a vertical face adapted to be engaged by the trailingedges of sheets as the bumper pushes them back. Thus the sheets arepiled with their trailing edges aligned against the abutment 38.

. From the foregoing description it is seen that the present inventionaffords a simple mechanism for aligning sheets as they are piled from ahigh speed processing line. As sheets drop from the magnetic conveyortraveling at high speed, their leading edges strike the bumper withouttheir surfaces scraping across the surfaces of sheets already piled.Since the bumper swings ahead under the impact, it does not damage theleading edges. Since the bumper pushes the sheet back against the xedabutment at a much slower rate, this nal movement does not cause damage.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of theinvention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I donot Wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A stop mechanism for piling metal sheets emerging from a processingline comprising a normally stationary frame, a bumper plate having aresilient vertical outer face, a plurality of tongues rigidly attachedto the inner face of said plate, a parallelogram linkage including linksspaced apart in the direction of sheet travel and being of equaleffective length, said links being pivotally connected at their tops onthe same height to said frame Patented sept. `4, s

` and at their bottoms on the same height directly to said tongues whichthereby form an integral part of said linkage, said linkage thussupporting said plate for free swinging movement with the outer facethereof positively constrained to remain vertical as the plate swings, asingle cushioning means pivot-ally connected between said plate and saidframe, said plate being adapted to receive the impact of the leadingedge of a sheet on its outer face and to swing inwardly on said linkagein response thereto, said cushioning means `opposing inward swingingmovement of said plate with the same force regardless of the height atwhich the sheet strikes and being adapted to return said plate and pushthe sheet back, and a xed abutment spaced rearwardly of the outer faceof said plate adapted to be engaged by the trailing edge of sheets thuspushed back for aligning their trailing edges.

2. A mechanism as deiined in claim 1 in which said cushioning meansincludes a pneumatic cylinder and piston pivoted at one end of theinward face of said plate and at the other end to said frame.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS411,750 Reitel (1) Sept. 4, 1889 470,898 Reiffel (2) Mar. 15, 18921,892,591 Steele Dec. 27, 1932 1,935,767 Delany Nov. 21, 1933 2,028,410Rapisarda Jan. 21, 1936 2,072,667 Coe Mar. 2, 1937 2,193,162 CarterMal'. 12, 1940 2,205,767 Lamb June 25, 1940 2,235,347 Zahutnik Mar. 18,1941 2,341,021 Curtis Feb. 8, 1944 2,374,174 Buccicone Apr. 24, 19452,626,800 Martin Jan. 27, 1953 2,661,949 Bauer Dec. 8, 1953

